15.30—Conduct of a public hearing before the Commissioner.
(a)
The Commissioner or a designee may preside at the hearing, except where a regulation provides that the Commissioner will preside personally. The presiding officer may be accompanied by other FDA employees or other Federal Government employees designated by the Commissioner, who may serve as a panel in conducting the hearing.
(c)
Persons may use their alloted time in whatever way they wish, consistent with a reasonable and orderly hearing. A person may be accompanied by any number of additional persons, and may present any written information or views for inclusion in the record of the hearing, subject to the requirements of § 15.25. The presiding officer may allot additional time to any person when the officer concludes that it is in the public interest, but may not reduce the time allotted for any person without the consent of the person.
(d)
If a person is not present at the time specified for the presentation, the persons following will appear in order, with adjustments for those appearing at their scheduled time. An attempt will be made to hear any person who is late at the conclusion of the hearing. Other interested persons attending the hearing who did not request an opportunity to make an oral presentation will be given an opportunity to make an oral presentation at the conclusion of the hearing, in the discretion of the presiding officer, to the extent that time permits.
(e)
The presiding officer and any other persons serving on a panel may question any person during or at the conclusion of the presentation. No other person attending the hearing may question a person making a presentation. The presiding officer may, as a matter of discretion, permit questions to be submitted to the presiding officer or panel for response by them or by persons attending the hearing.
(f)
The hearing is informal in nature, and the rules of evidence do not apply. No motions or objections relating to the admissibility of information and views may be made or considered, but other participants may comment upon or rebut all such information and views. No participant may interrupt the presentation of another participant at any hearing for any reason.
(g)
The hearing may end early only if all persons scheduled for a later presentation have already appeared or it is past the time specified in the hearing schedule, under § 15.21(e), by which participants must be present.
(h)
The Commissioner or the presiding officer may, under § 10.19, suspend, modify, or waive any provision of this part.